Attorney General Kelly A. Ayotte wants to protect New Hampshire's citizens from identity theft. The following tips will help prevent identity theft:

• Shred financial documents and paperwork with personal information before you discard them.
• Protect your Social Security number. Don't carry your Social Security card in your wallet or write your Social Security number on a check. Give it out only if absolutely necessary or ask to use another identifier.
• Don't give out personal information on the phone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you know who you are dealing with.
• Never click on links sent in unsolicited emails; instead, type in a web address you know. Use firewalls, anti-spyware, and anti-virus software to protect your home computer; keep them up-to-date. Visit OnGuardOnline.gov for more information.
• Don't use an obvious password like your birth date, your mother's maiden name, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
• Keep your personal information in a secure place at home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help, or are having work done in your house.

You can place a security freeze on your credit file even if you are not the victim of identity theft. A security freeze is free to identity theft victims who have a police report of identity theft. If you are not an identity theft victim, it will cost you $10 to place a freeze with each credit bureau. A step-by-step guide to placing a security freeze on your credit file can be found at http://doj.nh.gov/consumer/credit_freeze.html.

More information is available on the New Hampshire Department of Justice's Consumer Protection Website, www.doj.nh.gov/consumer by clicking on the Identity Theft Toolkit icon, or by calling the consumer protection hotline toll free at 1-888-468-4454. A copy of the New Hampshire Consumer Sourcebook is also available on the Consumer Protection Website at http://doj.nh.gov/consumer/sourcebook. The Sourcebook has information on a wide range of consumer issues.